1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for containing tennis balls and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus and method for containing tennis balls that are struck by a tennis racquet after either hitting practice serves or returning tennis balls projected by a tennis ball machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a person practicing tennis serves or using a tennis ball machine would usually hit tennis balls all over the tennis court and the struck tennis balls would then end up on the ground spread all over the court and the exterior portions thereof in random spaced apart locations.
This caused a number of problems relating to cost and lost of time. One such problem is that at most private or public tennis facilities tennis court use and/or tennis ball machines are generally rented out based on time usage which includes the lost time spent gathering and picking up the hit tennis balls. This invention will save a tennis player time which will result in money savings because the player will be able to reduce the time spent in gathering up the tennis balls thereby providing more playing time within any given time period.
This time savings will also be applicable or available to a tennis player who rents out, for a period of time, a basket of tennis balls to practice serving, ground strokes, volleys, etc. With this invention, the player can reduce the gathering and pick-up time of the struck tennis balls providing more playing time within any given time period.
Generally, after someone finishes practicing serving or hitting a basket of tennis balls, they usually still have to spend up to 20 minutes or more gathering and picking up the tennis balls strewn all over the ground. This invention reduces the tennis ball gathering and pick up time, thus permitting more time to be spent in the fun part of using the tennis balls to practice serving or to hit them off the ball machine.
Yet another problem that this invention addresses is to reduce the rather substantial costs of purchasing or replacing tennis balls that are used for practicing serves or for ball machines because of wear out since tennis balls like most other balls of various sports slowly but surely wear out and become too light or go "bad" after substantial use. In tennis practice, the relatively fast moving, struck, tennis balls generally first strike the ground and then bounce around hitting containment fences which are usually made of fairly abrasive chain link type fencing material and these tennis balls continue bouncing along the ground for a substantial period of time until finally coming to a stop. With this invention, the struck tennis balls do not hit abrasive containment fences nor do the balls hit the ground as often. As a result, the speed of these struck tennis balls is significantly reduced to accomplish the goals of shortening the time these balls are in motion, reducing the balls bouncing around time, and, consequently substantially reducing the wear and tear on these tennis balls. This invention can thus permit or allow each practice tennis ball's life to be significantly increased.